Luth Haroon, Alessandro Rosti and Arianna Ravioli are the recipients of the 2021 Merit Awards given by IULM University for their outstanding performance during the 2020-2021 academic year.
As of today, IULM University has awarded 27.000 euros to several students for their impressive achievements in the Master of Arts in Game Design. This year, the recipients of the 3.000 euros award are Luth Haroon, Alessandro Rosti, and Arianna Ravioli, who join Giulia Levada, Simone Benzi, Alessandro Chiovoloni (2019-2020; Lorenzo Redaelli, Stefano Sanitate, and Alberto Putignano (2018-2019).
Luth Haroon received a BEng in Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham in 2010. He went on to complete an MSc in Embedded Systems Engineering at the same university in 2011 and has since been working at Renishaw as a software engineer. He is passionate about games and media in general, and has developed several independent game projects in his spare time. He is also interested in religion and spirituality, the search for truth, and in investigating how this might apply broadly to game design. Luth lives and works in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Alessandro Rosti received a Bachelor in Computer Science and a Master’s Degree in Theory and Technology of Communication from Milano-Bicocca University. His interests include computer graphic, visual communication, interface design, game development and design. Among his passion are the Middle Ages and Scandinavian folklore, music and cosplay. As a programmer, pianist, and music composer, Alessandro finds code and sound powerful tools to tell stories, create emotions, and provide learning opportunities while having fun. Alessandro currently lives Canegrate, near Milan.
Born and raised in a city near Milan, in 2020 Arianna Ravioli received a B.A. in Graphic Design and Art Direction, with a minor in Creative Direction, from NABA with a thesis written and illustrated by her, titled W*MEN about gender representation in video games. Arianna is very passionate about 3D art, music, risograph, and video games. She’s especially interested in the narrative potential of video games and she aspires to become a narrative designer.
The students’ final projects are:
Luth Haroon, BeetleMania
BeetleMania is the premiere wrestling tournament for beetles of all shapes and sizes. Watch them vie for territory in nature themed dioramas—forest, desert, volcano—until the fittest remains. Innate prowess, special abilities, and the conditions of the arena will determine the victor… with a sprinkling of luck. Make bets and win big money through careful study, and use your earnings to build your very own terrarium of prized beetles. Spectate and bet among friends in local multiplayer.
Alessandro Rosti, Tablets of the Law
Tablets of the Law is a unique strategy/simulation game that casts the player in the role of a lesser God at the dawn of civilization. Use the power of the word to subvert natural laws and to generate weird interactions. Think outside the box! Make yourself worshiped by prehistoric humans… or by anything you want for that matter! Above all, be creative! Gods assign rules and meaning to the world using big stone tablets, as we are taught by our ancestors. Players can play one card a day to modify the tablet’s engravings. Wait… Why should a God play a game? Well, if Death plays chess, God can definitely play cards, right? So, have fun! Change the rules! Create your own goals! Sky is the limit.
Arianna Ravioli, Will Die Alone
The first breakthrough for Alex came when her best friend Vince realized that some memories are not meant to be kept. The second coincided when she was hired by Dewitt Corp. On paper, the task is simple: to delete her clients’ painful memories so that they could be happy again. Her new job begins in two days. Alex will find herself lonely and in the middle of nowhere with an assignment that no one wants to do. She must make hard choices. Her entire world resides in her computer, but reality will keep intruding. All she can do is pray and hope that nothing bad will happen to her family while she is stuck in virtual hell. Will Die Alone is a journey through painful memories. It’s a game about loss, the role of the past, and possible futures. Every choice comes with a price. Will you be willing to pay?
